Countdown to Christmas - Day 22

Evening,

As my Granddaughter Chloe would say, 'Only three more sleeps' till Father Christmas comes to visit. And only one more for me till I join them for my Christmas stay. 

I managed to get some decorations up today so the place is looking a little more festive.  Not up to Mum's usual standards I know, but at least it is something. Just a bit of cooking to do for her tomorrow before I leave and things will be all sorted.

A couple of Christmas cards tonight using a stencil, gold paste and some handmade background paper.

The background paper was made using Cosmic Shimmer Airless Misters and clingfilm.

The paste was added through the stencil once the background had dried. I also used the stencil with some ink for the images on the base card.

Another small card made using the left over piece from the previous card.

I fussy cut the greeting so that it didn't cover up too much of that fabulous background.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Getting Back to Normal

Evening,

It was so nice to get back to a little bit of normality today, with a trip to the gym. I didn't want to push it since it is the first time that I have managed to get there in absolutely ages, but I did manage a nice brisk walk on the treadmill, so that's a start.

Here is another card made using the ink sprays and clingfilm technique.

I used several circular style dies 

along with some tiny die cut flowers and leaves.

Back to work tomorrow, so I have been busy catching up on a few crafty projects while I had the chance.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs Kimx

Through the Round Window.

Morning,

At least that is what these cards remind me of. And that shows my age because Playschool which this saying reminds me of, is a very old British Childrens programme (circa 1964 - 1988).

I have used some handmade background papers created using spray inks and cling film for the backgrounds in all of these cards.

I also used some lovely circular dies, which I think, if memory serves, are by Memorybox.

A piece of embossed white cardstock adds a little extra something to the card base.

A dark card base for this one, and a bit of gold for added lift.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that it is not quite so cold today, but I think it is a vain hope. The weathermen seem to be all too correct in their predictions just lately lol.

Hugs Kimx

Monochrome Congratulations

Evening,

Where on earth is this year disappearing to? How can it be November already. It was definitely 'Dragon's breath' weather this morning. That is what the kids call it when it is so cold that you can see your breath as you walk along.

I've tried very hard to blog every day this year since I have so many cards still to share with you, however I seem to have failed miserably last month. I have to say though that I have felt so much less pressured as soon as I missed a couple of days lol.

I hope that you managed to catch Jane on the TV a couple of weeks ago with more of her Bubble Bloom stamp sets.

I still have quite a few cards made using them,

so I had better get my act together and start blogging more regularly again or the unblogged cards pile will start to get out of control again.

The background to these cards was created using ink sprays and clingfilm. I decided to add a little colour to this second one, although I think that the monochrome one is probably my favourite.

I'm going to get an early night I think. Chloe wasn't very well yesterday, and was very restless during the night, so I have some sleep to catch up on lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Crafty hugs

Kimx
 

A Stag through the Trees

Evening,

Sorry I have been MIA for a few days. Getting back to work after the refit has been totally mad, and very tiring. A few days off to craft was lovely, but then the madness began all over again. So it was lovely to play on Saturday amongst friends, and then go home to a house full of people, including the littlest Grandchildren, to celebrate my birthday, albeit a day early.

My actual birthday on Sunday started very early indeed, with an extra day at work and a 4am start!!!!

Still an early start means an early finish so not all bad, although I was so shattered that I spent most of the afternoon and evening trying not to fall asleep.........................I wasn't altogether successful lol.

It was another 4am start today, so I wasn't sure that I would even manage to get a post done.

Sunday was also the birthday of a good friends husband, although he is much younger than me lol.

Here is a rather atmospheric birthday card that could be send to any man.

I made it for the class recently on Ink Sprays and Clingfilm. This technique makes fabulous backgrounds, here used with a die cut stag amongst the trees.

I added a moon mask and some ink to mimic the moonlight through the trees.

The die cut birthday, and the stag frame have been cut from black card and then highlighted with gold gilding wax. 

Better get some sleep now, although I get a lie in tomorrow, I don't have to be at work until 6am...........positively midday lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Crafty Hugs

Kimx

Inspired by a Friend

Evening All,

It has been nice to be away from the madness of the fuel delivery chaos for a few days, and that will carry on for a little while longer as the garage is closed for a refit.

We played with ink sprays and cling film during our last class, and this card was inspired by something that I saw on a friends blog Felix the Crafty Cat.

The background was created by spraying card with inks and then adding scrunched up cling film over it and leaving it to dry. 

At least one of the sprays had mica in it which is what creates the fabulous icy finish to the background.

I added a die cut floral silhouette, punched border and sentiment.

This card was made with a similar background panel, just different floral die cut and sentiment.

The background to this final card was once again made with spray inks, only this time I used a piece of  bubble wrap to create the background texture.

Thank you for your fabulous inspiration Angela, I hope you feel that I have done you justice.

Hugs Kimx

Floral Sparkle

Evening All,

Another scorcher, and I was mad enough to go to the gym with my friend. It's no wonder that I am struggling to stay awake lol.

So just one quick card tonight, before I fall asleep. The background was created with a couple of colours of Cosmic Shimmer Airless Misters and some clingfilm.

Once the ink had dried I removed the clingfilm and trimmed the panel into a square before adding a frame created with a new Sue Wilson die.

The wildflowers are cut in black using a new Sizzix die. Such an easy card to put together, but I think the wildflowers compliment the background perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Hugs Kimx
 

Use Your Backgrounds.

Evening All,

Friday again, thank goodness. It has been so lovely to see kids walking to school again, but there are definitely going to be some very tired people at the end of the day......parents, teachers and students lol. I know just how tired I felt my first week back at work after only 3 months off with a bad foot last year.

I have spent the afternoon fulfilling a promise to an old crafty friend.

My friend Gill has suggested that we use up some of our stash of background papers, and believe me I certainly have plenty of those.

She made a beautiful card using a piece of background that she had made using vivid inks from years ago......and probably from one of my classes too.

Vivid inks, as their name suggests, were beautiful vivid colours of both inkpad and reinker. I loved using the reinkers for making backgrounds that involved drops of ink a spritz of water and then a smoosh together of two pieces of cardstock.

I also used some cling film on this piece. My stamped image is a new stamp from Francoise which has just been released. I used bleach on parts of the image and then coated everything in clear embossing poder having first painted it with a versamark pen.

While I was at it I made a second card using the same fabulous stamped image

and ink mopped up from my spray booth.

Once again I painted the jug with embossing ink and coated it with clear embossing powder.

I've got some more DT stuff to work on tomorrow so better get my thinking cap on.

Thanks for stopping by. Why not play with some of your stash of background pieces, I'm sure that you all have some amongst your stash.

Hugs Kimx

Designer Boutique Dragonfly Delight Steps

Evening Everyone,

I hope that you have had a good day. I have had a very successful one finishing off a load of bits and pieces. For now I'm sharing a card that I made for Creative Expressions, using one of the fabulous new stamps from Designer Boutique which have just launched.

I helped them out with some steps for this card, so I thought that I would share them with you here.

You will need:

Creative Expressions Designer Boutique Dragonfly Delight UMSDB045

Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Noble Double Pierced Ovals CED5516

Cosmic Shimmer Airless Mister Amber Lights CSAMLIGHT

Cosmic Shimmer Airless Mister Flirty Pink CSAMPINK

Cosmic Shimmer Airless Mister Poppy Parade CSAMPOPPY

Cosmic Shimmer Airless Mister Blackberry Bliss CSAMBLISS

Creative Expressions Foundations Card Coconut White 40980

Cosmic Shimmer Detail Embossing Powder Black CSDEPBLK

Ranger Perfect Medium PERPADCL

Creative Expressions Mounting Foam CEMOUNT

Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue CSGLUE

Hole punch

Anti static bag

Ruler

Black pen such as a Sakura Pigma Micron pen

Cling film

Thin undiluted bleach

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Cut in half 1 sheet of coconut white card A4 and score one piece in half to create the card blank

Step 2: Take the other piece of coconut white card and spray it with airless misters. Once finished, add cling film to the surface and leave it to dry for several hours/overnight. Remove the cling film once dry.

Step 3: Wipe your card front with an anti-static bag and stamp the dragonfly stamp using perfect medium ink pad.

Step 4: Cover the stamped image with black embossing powder and heat emboss

Step 5: Repeat steps 3&4 on the pre-coloured sheet you created using airless misters.

Step 6: Using Double Pierced Oval die of a chosen size, die cut section of the dragonfly from your pre-coloured sheet and glue it over the same pre-stamped design on your card blank, so that both images match.

Step 7: Use a small amount of bleach and a fine blush to lift some colour out of the flowers and wings of the dragonfly.

Step 8: Draw a decorative border using a ruler around the design, avoiding going over the stamped image

Step 9: Hole punch selected areas of the design left on the pre-coloured sheet. Shape them on a foam pad/mouse mat using a shaping tool. Use foam tape or mounting cushion cut to the size to adhere the domed circles to the card on opposite sides of the dragonfly.

I do love to make inky backgrounds and the airless misters are fabulous for this.

I used scrunched up cling film over the wet inks which leaves a lovely frosty pattern in it.

They also react beautifully with bleach which is what I used to paint the daffodils and dragonfly.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you find the instructions useful.

Hugs Kimx

A Focal Sentiment for Gill

 Evening,

It's Wednesday, and my friend Gill has suggested a Sentiment as the focal point on your card for her 'Way to Go Wednesday' over at Christmas Cards and Papercraft Challenge on Facebook.

My card was made for Creative Expressions using Jane's Quirky Typewriter Alphabets. 

I used a piece of background that I made using Cosmic Shimmer Watercolour Inks and clingfilm.

I dropped several colours of ink onto a piece of wet watercolour paper and then added a piece of scrunched up clingfilm over the top. 

Some of the inks are pearlescent and it is the mica in them that sits in the creases in the clingfilm.

I'm afraid that this technique requires patience, something I know us crafters are not renowned for possessing. If you remove the cling film before the panel has completely dried you don't get this beautiful frosted glass effect.

The beauty of an alphabet stamp set is that you can write your own message. I tend to be a bit traditional and safe with my greetings, but it will be great to be able to personalize a card, especially for those people that I know with non traditional names or spellings like my daughters Jenni and Becki.

Why not join in and see if you can create a card with a greeting as the focal point.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Kimx

 

The Gift of Christmas Kings

Evening Everyone,
Do you ever have times when you just have so much to do that you don't know where to start and so you end up getting even further behind?
Well I am having one of those weeks/fortnights...................I seem to be going backwards.
I have loads of cards to share, so that isn't the problem. I'm just struggling to find enough time and energy to play with all the wonderful new goodies that Creative Expressions have sent me, and the deadlines are approaching thick and fast.
I did manage to make a very small dent in things tonight, but as I am going to visit my daughter this weekend, panic will set in again on Sunday.

The lovely Gwen will be on the TV next week with these stunning Stained Glass Window stamps from Designer Boutique,

 so I thought that I would share a sample that I made with one of them.

I used the new Cosmic Shimmer Watercolour inks to paint the gold embossed image.

 I also used it on the black card stock along with some cling film.

And then for the background with an embossing folder.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs Kimx

Doves of Peace

Well I would say good evening but it is so hot that I'm struggling to say anything at all.

 Friday saw the launch of another new range of stamps, the Designer Boutique Stained Glass Collection.

The background to the stained glass Doves of Peace panel was made using another new product from Creative Expressions, Cosmic Shimmer Pearlescent Watercolours.

I dropped a couple of colours of Watercolours onto wet watercolour card stock and then covered the whole thing with scrunched up cling film and left it to dry. I added some white paint to the doves,

and then mounted the trimmed panel on to an embossed piece of cardstock.
I'm sure that there will be plenty more samples on display soon over on Facebook.
Thanks for stopping by
Hugs Kimx